Cooking utensil



May 17, 1966 N. o. SHORT ETAL 3,251,358

COOKING UTENS IL Filed May 25, 1964 3,251,358 COOKHNG UTENSlL Nathan O.Short, 11597 6th Ave., Hanford, Calif., and James R. Short, 927 Live OakDrive, Santa Clara,

Calif.

Filed May 25, 1964, Ser. No. 369,885 1 Claim. (Cl. 126-381) An object ofthis invention is to provide an improved cooking utensil constructed sothat essentially no moisture is lost therefrom during the cookingprocess.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved cookingutensil that is constructed so that it may be economically andeillciently manufactured.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved cookingutensil that is provided with a moisturecondensing structure in thecover thereof in which the vapor driven oil of the liquid, food or otherarticles heated in the utensil is condensed and returned to the insideof the utensil occupied by the liquid, food or other articles beingheated.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved cookingutensil cover structure in which there are positioned a plurality ofinterleaved baille members which function as a condensing unit forcondensing the moisture vaporized from the liquid, food or otherarticles lbeing heated in the utensil so that the condensed vaporA maybe returned to the liquid, food or other articles being heated.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved cookingutensil with a cover having a moisturecondensing baille arrangementtherein which may be readily disassembled for cleaning, if desired.

Other and further objects of this invention will be ap parent to thoseskilled in the art to which it relates from the following specification,claim and drawing in which, brieily:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a cooking utensil provided with acover in which there are positioned in interleaved fashion a pluralityof moisture-condensing baflle members; and

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the cover of amodified form of moisture-condensing arrangement constructed inaccordance with this invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, reference numeral designates acooking utensil which may be of metal, such as aluminum, stainlesssteel, or the like, or it may be of glass or similar material, that isadapted to be positioned over an electric heating unit or gas burner sothat food and liquidsplaced therein may be heated and processed forconsumption. The vessel 10 is provided with a cover 11 having a handle12 of heat-insulating material attached to the top thereof s o that thecover may be conveniently lifted and placed on the vessel 10 or removedtherefrom. The top 13 of lthe cover is provided with one or more ventholes 13a to prevent excessive pressure from `building up in the coverstructure.

A dished baille member 14 is positioned under the cover and fits intothe inside of the cover so that the peripheral portions of thisl baillemember engage the inside walls of the cover. If desired, the peripheralportions of the bale member 14 may be beaded downward as indicated at16, or the part 16 may be made as a separate ring which may extenddownward a suillcient distance to engage the edge portion of the nextbaille 17 and thus function as a spacer. Baille member 14, as well asthe other baille members 17, 20, 22, 24, 25 and 29, are all made ofrelatively light gauge metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, andtheyv are all of such size as to fit relatively snugly into the cover11. Baille members 20, 24 and 29 are identical to baille member 14 .andthey are also provided with retaining rings 19, 24 and 3,251,358Patented May 17, 1966 28, respectively, such as ring 16 of member 14.Batlle members 14, 20, 24 and 29 are provided with holes 15, 21, 26 and3i), respectively, located substantially in the central areas thereof inthe lowest parts thereof so that condensed liquids ilow down the uppersurfaces of these baille members to these holes. Rib members 15a, 21a,26a and 30a are provided in these central depressed .areas of the baillemembers 14, 20, 24 and .29, respectively, between the respective holes.Rib members 15a, 21a and 26a engage the apexes of the baille members17,22 and Y The dished baille members 14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 25 yand 29 areinterleaved, as shown in FIG. 1, and provide a series of cavitiestherebetween which are connected by the holes 15, 18, 21, 23, 26 and 27.Thus, the water vapor enters the cavity between baille members 25 and 29through the holes 30 and spreads out in this cavity. Some of the Watervapor condenses on the walls of this cavity and the remainder leaves itthrough the peripheral holes 27 formed in baille member 25, therebyentering the annular cavity formed between baille members 24 and 25. Thecentral part of which communicates with the next cavity through holes 26formed in baille member 24. Some of the water vapor entering the cavitybetween baille members 24and 25 will, of course, contact the innersurface of the cover 11, as well as the surfaces of the baille memberswhich are cool enough to condense the vapor with the result that thisvapor is condensed. The condensed liquid ilows down on baille member 29through the peripheral holes 27 and dnops into the vessel 10 throughholes 30. One the other hand, as the cooking process proceeds, more andmore of the water vapor will iind its Way upward between the respectivebaille members through the holes provided in these baille members, sothat some of the water vapor may contact the lower surface of the cover13 and be condensed thereon. However, if excessive pressure shoulddevelop through the production of an excessive amount of Water vapor,some of the excess will leave the cover through the holes 13a formedthrough the top thereof. The liquid condensed on the under surface ofthe cover 13 ilows down to the baille 14 and through holes 15 ontobaille member 17. Inasmuch as the upper surface of this baille member ininclined towards the circumference thereof, the liquid ilowsdown itthrough holes 18 onto baille member 20 and along the upper surface ofthis latter member to holes 21 through which it ilows onto baille member22 to holes 23, thence onto baille member 24 to holes 26 through whichit ilows onto baille member 25. Member 25 is provided with'holes 27through which the condensate ilows onto baille member 29 and fromthismember it flows into the vessel 16 through holes 30.

Another embodiment of this'invention is shown in FIG. 2, and in thiscase the helical tubular coil 34, which may be made of metal such ascopper, aluminum, stainless steel or the like, is substituted forseveral of the intermediate baille members. The lower end 32 of thiscoil is attached by soldering or the like to the hole 25h of baillemember 25a, and the upper end 33 of this coil is attached by solderingor the like to hole 35 of the baille member 14a. The side walls of thecover 11 are also, in this modiilcation, provided with holes 11a throughwhich air circulates through the cover and Varound the helical tube 34to cool the outer surface of this tube and facilitate condensation ofthe water vapor therein. The bottom baille member 29 is the same as thecorresponding bale member shown in FIG. l, and it is also provided witha supporting ring 28 which may be made integral with the peripheralportions of the bale member. This ring engages the inner walls of thecover and in sufticiently resilient so that the friction therebetweenholds the baflle members in place in the cover.

The bottom part 31 of the cover is of a larger diameter than .the top ofthe vessel `1() so that this part extends downward over the outside ofthe vessel 10 for a short distance to .prevent water vapor escaping fromthe vessel.

While we have disclosed preferred embodiments of this invention in theforegoing specification, it is not desired to limit the invention to theexact details described and illustrated, except insofar as those detailsare defined by the appended claim.

What we claim is:

A cooking utensil comprising a cooking vessel, a cover for said vessel,and means in said cover for condensing the liquid vapors given off bythe articles or liquids during the heating thereof in said cookingvessel, said condensing means comprising a plurality of baille membersfitted into said cover, said baflle members being dished and stacked insaid cover so that vapor-receiving cavities are formed between adjacentones thereof, alternate ones of said baille members being downwardlydished and provided with holes at the depressed central parts thereof,and the others of said battle members being upwardly dished and providedholes in their peripheral portions, the cavities between said baillemembers being connected by several radially extending serpentine pathspassing through said holes whereby the liquid vapor passing upwardthrough said cavities passes through said radially extending serpentinepaths and the condensate formed from these vapors flows downward alongsaid paths into said cooking vessel.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,086,986 2/ 1914Blodgett. 1,408,692 3/ 1922 Curtis 126-381 1,468,908 9/1923 Krafft126-381 1,822,257 9/1931 Wentorf 126-382 FOREIGN PATENTS 821,998 9/1937France.

THERON E. CONDONPrmary Examiner.

R. H. SCHWARTZ, Assistant Examiner.

